DALLAS — It is difficult to win when your starting cornerback draws four pass interference penalties, all on third downs.
It is difficult to win when your team is flagged 14 times for a franchise-record 166 yards.
The Cowboys offered the Las Vegas Raiders a late push, but the penalties were too much to overcome in a 36-33 overtime loss on Thanksgiving. A 29-yard Daniel Carlson field goal was the late difference. Here are five takeaways from the team’s second straight loss, which drops Dallas to 7-4:
Penalty-palooza
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr walked back to the huddle Thursday midway into the third quarter after his Oscar-worthy performance was over. He incidentally collided with Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons and grabbed his lower neck.
The officiating crew assessed a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.
Once Carr reached the huddle, he smiled at teammates. The officials bought it.
There was more laundry on the field Thursday than a college freshman dormitory, and the Cowboys took the short end of it. During the first quarter alone, they were penalized five times for 60 yards, the most first-quarter penalty yardage against a single team since 2018.
Cornerback Anthony Brown was flagged for pass interference four times Thursday. A questionable holding call on center Tyler Biadasz negated a 31-yard Tony Pollard run.
In the fourth quarter, a 7-yard Dalton Schultz touchdown was wiped away when left tackle Tyron Smith was called for illegal formation and holding. On the ensuing play, a third-and-13, running back Tony Pollard absorbed a late hit from safety Johnathan Abram.
Pollard didn’t see it like Carr did. A reaction from Pollard, some might say a flop, surely would have drawn a penalty.
No flag was thrown.
The Cowboys settled for a Greg Zuerlein field goal, cutting their deficit to 27-22. Had the drive culminated in a touchdown, Dallas could have tied the game with a two-point conversion.
In total, the teams combined for 28 penalties for 276 yards. Both are league highs for this season.
Weird rotation
Offensive line coach Joe Philbin was away from the team Thursday after testing positive for COVID-19.
For a moment, things got interesting in his absence. A little too interesting.
The Dallas Cowboys looked like the Dallas Stars in the early going, throwing their coveted continuity to the wind. On their third drive, they switched out the starting left guard and right tackle for the backups in a three-and-out possession.
Connor McGovern and Terence Steele started at left guard and right tackle, respectively. They were on the field for the game’s opening two possessions, the second of which was a 70-yard touchdown drive, before the hook came.
McGovern’s start in favor of Connor Williams was expected; he overtook Williams, a penalty magnet this year, leading up to Sunday’s loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Steele’s start raised eyebrows, though, as it answered the question of what the Cowboys would do with Steele once left tackle Tyron Smith returned from an ankle injury.
Smith started Thursday after missing three straight games.
Despite La’el Collins having been solid at right tackle, Steele flipped from left to right tackle, pushing Collins to the bench. The curious three-and-out was Collins’ and Williams’ only offensive snaps in the first half.
Gallup flashes late
The Cowboys believe they can keep either Amari Cooper or Michael Gallup — not both — on their roster next year because of salary cap restrictions. They are waiting until after the season before making a decision.
Gallup finally showed them something late.
Gallup was having a quiet afternoon Thursday before catches of 41, 32 and 17 yards in the fourth quarter. The 32-yard connection set up a game-tying touchdown to tight end Dalton Schultz, helping mitigate the absences of Cooper and Lamb to COVID-19 and a concussion, respectively.
Before Thursday’s fourth quarter, this hadn’t been the contract year Gallup envisioned. He strained his left calf during the Sept. 9 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and missed the next seven games. He failed to reach 50 yards in his first three games back.
Gallup came alive against Las Vegas when he needed to most.
He finished with five receptions for 106 yards.
Elliott down, Pollard up
Ezekiel Elliott is clearly not right.
For more than a month, a knee issue has ailed him, forcing him to miss practice time and long stretches in multiple games. He barely took the field at all Thursday in the second quarter, his only touch of the period a 1-yard touchdown run shortly before halftime.
Good thing the Cowboys have a sparkplug behind him.
Pollard was effective both on offense and special teams. In the latter, he tied the franchise record for the longest kickoff return for a touchdown with a 100-yarder during the third quarter. Pollard deserves credit for keeping Dallas in the game when the offense had little going.
Notably, wide receiver Cedrick Wilson suffered a right ankle injury in the fourth quarter. He finished the game.
Champing at the bit
Go ahead and mark your calendars.
December 2 at the New Orleans Saints looks to be the date of DeMarcus Lawrence’s return.
The Cowboys’ defensive end was a popular fixture on the AT&T Stadium scoreboard, often being shown on the sideline, screaming in support of his teammates before a third down. Lawrence resumed practice on Wednesday.
Thursday’s game was the 10th Lawrence has missed since fracturing his left foot during a Week 2 practice.
